Combination draftsman tray



Jan. 11, 1955 B. P. ELLIOTT 2,699,262

\ COMBINATION DRAFTSMAN TRAY Filed Jan. 25, 1953 I N VE NTOR Berg 1 mm 1? Emma United States Patent 2,699,262 COMBINATION DRAFTSMAN TRAY Benjamin P. Elliott, Damascus, Md. Application January 23, 1953, Serial No. 332,941 Claims. (Cl. 211-69) This invention relates to a new and improved combination draftsmans tray and more particularly to a tray for use by draftsmen, artists and the like which holds drawing and drafting equipment and which is attached to the lamp ordinarily supported over a drawing board.

One object of this invention tion tray for holding drawing pencils in one position and also hold other drafting equipment such as erasers and so forth in another position.

Another object of this invention is to provide a tray which holds the drawing pencils in a separate and readily accessible position with the end carrying the indicia designating the type of pencil in full view and the pointed end protected within the tray.

A further object of this invention is to provide a tray for attachment to a fluorescent lamp or the like which in addition to holding pencils in a readily accessible position also holds other drafting equipment such as erasers, pens and the like in a removed part from the pencils.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a tray for drawing implements or the like which can either be placed on the flat surface of the drawing board or the like or can be attached to be contoured top surface of a conventional fluorescent lamp.

Another object of this invention is to provide a tray for holding drafting or drawing implements which may be built in the shade of a conventional fluorescent lamp such as is used over a drafting board.

In order to accomplish these objects, I provide a tray, contoured on the under side of the end portions generally to fit over the arcuate shaped top side of a fluorescent lamp shade. Intermediate the top and bottom of the sides and ends I provide a fluted tray for holding extra pencils, pens, erasers, cigarettes and other material customarily used by a draftsman. In one or both of the ends of said tray I provide openings or holes slightly larger than a drafting pencil and inside the ends and surrounding these holes I provide a resilient gripping means for holding a pencil in place when inserted through said hole and which at the same time permits the end of the pencil carrying the indicia thereon to be exposed to full view.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent as the discussion proceeds and when considered in connection with the accompanying claims and drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of one form of the tray embodying my invention, shown in place on a fluorescent lamp shade;

Fig. 2 is a sectional Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of one modification embodying my invention, and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of Fi 4.

%urning now to a detailed description of one form of the new and improved tray embodying my invention, the numeral designates a conventional lamp shade for a fluorescent lam such as is used over a drafting or drawing board. The usual switch buttons 11 are provided and the shade and lamp is supported by means of a hanger bracket 12.

A tray 13 is mounted on the lamp shade 10, as best shown in Fig. 1. The tray 13 is provided with ends 14 which are contoured or shaped along their bottom edge view taken along the line 2-2 of is to provide a combinau 2,699,262 Patented Jan. 11, 1955 to conform to the top side of the shade 10. Sides 15 of the tray 13 extend between the ends and are provided on their bottom edge with resilient feet 16 formed at each end thereof, as shown. Each foot 16 is bent back upon itself to form a loop 17 which hooks under the bottom edge of the side 18 of the shade 10 and holds the tray 13 in place. When it is desired to remove the tray 13 from the shade 10 the feet 16 are sprung outwardly and the tray quicky and easily removed. If desired the tray 13 can be placed upon a flat surface and then is supported upon the feet 16.

fluted or corrugated bottom 19 is provided inside the ends 14 and the sides 15 and is located intermediate the top and bottom of the sides and ends thereby affording additional and separate storage space for pencils, pens, erasers and numerous other equipment used by a draftsman while working.

In at least one of the ends 14 there is provided a number of holes or openings 20. There being but four holes shown in but one end here, however, it is to be understood that any number of holes desired may be provided and they can be placed in both ends of the tray if desired without departing from the spirit of my invention. The holes 20 are made of a size just larger than a drafting pencil, shown as numeral 21 in Figs. 1 and 2, and are adapted to slidably receive the pencils 21 therein. Each hole, as best shown in Figs. 2 and 3, is surrounded with resilient gripping means 22 for slidable gripping the pencils 21 and holding them in place. The gripping means 22 are shown in Fig. 2 as being resilient fingers 23 attached at one end to the inside of the end member 14 by means of rivets or screws 24. There are shown four such spring fingers 23, but it is to be understood that any number desired may be employed. Likewise, other suitable resilient gripping means may be employed, such as a circular coiled spring as shown by the numeral 40 in Fig. 5.

As will be seen from the foregoing, the operation of my invention is relatively simple. The tray 13 with the contoured ends 14 fitting down over the lamp shade 1t) and the feet 16 are hooked under the lower edges of the shade 10, thereby holding the tray firmly in. place on the lamp shade. As the lamp shade 10 is moved from position to position over the drafting board, the tray 13 is carried with it and is thereby always handy and. within reach of anyone working over the board. Cigarettes, erasers, extra pencils, pens and the like can be stored in or on the fluted tray 19, and the pencils 21 being used are inserted, point in and indicia out, into the holes 20. The gripping means 22 keep the pencils in place. Because of their position in the tray and on the lamp the points of the pencils 21 are protected from breakage and the draftsman can quickly select which pencil he wishes. If it is found more convenient to place the tray 13 on some surface other than the lamp shade 10, the tray, with all the equipment therein, can be easily detached from thelamp shade by springing out the feet 16.

Another form of my invention is shown in Figs. 4 and 5. It primarily embodies the same basic principle as that form shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 but is constructed integral with the lamp shade 10. This is accomplished by providing upwardly extending sides 31 and ends: 32 on the conventional lamp shade. A fluted or corrugated bottom or tray 33 is located within the sides 31 and ends 32 and is located intermediate the top and bottom of the sides and ends. A conventional reflector 35 is located below the tray 33 and fluorescent lamps 36 are located below the reflector 35 in the usual manner. Conventional starter buttons 37 and a hanger bracket 38 are provided, as shown. There is no ballast shown as it forms no part of my invention.

In either or both ends 32 there is provided a plurality of holes or openings 39 which are slightly larger than a drafting or drawing pencil and they are adapted to slidably receive said drafting pencils therein. Surrounding each hole is a circular coiled spring member 40 and the pencils are detachable held in place in the holes by means of the spring members 40.

It is here pointed out that, as shown, both the holes 20 and 39 are located below the corrugated tray. This affords a closed or semi-closed space for receiving the points of the pencils 21, which give protection from breakage thereto.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A tray for drafting instruments including pencils comprising end members, said end members being shaped to conform to the arcuate surface of a lamp shade, sides, on said tray, feet on said sides, said feet being hooked on the ends for engagement with the under edge of said lamp shade, a bottom in said tray located intermediate the top and bottom of said edges and ends, means on one of said end members for slidably retaining a pencil therein, said means being located intermediate said bottom and said feet and comprising an opening in said end members and resilient gripping fingers.

2. A tray adapted to support drafting instruments comprising sides and end members, a bottom Within said side and end members, feet on said side members having hooked ends thereon, said hooks being adapted to engage the lower edge of a lamp shade and thereby hold said tray on said shade, the end members shaped to substantially fit the top arcuate surface of the lamp shade, said end members having openings therein adapted to slidably receive a drafting pencil therethrough and being located intermediate the bottom edge of said sides and the bottom member, and resilient gripping means aflixed to said end member adjacent said holes and cooperating therewith to detachably receive a pencil therein.

3. A tray adapted to support drafting instruments comprising sides and end members, a bottom within said side and end members located intermediate the top and bottom thereof, feet on said side members having hooked ends thereon, said hooks being adapted to engage the lower edge or a lamp shade and thereby hold said tray on said shade, the end members being shaped to substantially fit the top arcuate surface of the lamp shade, means carried on one of said end members for slidably receiving an elongated instrument therethrough and being located intermediate the bottom edge of said sides and the bottom member, and resilient gripping means carried by one of said sides and cooperating with said means to detachably retain said instrument in said end member.

4. A tray for drafting instruments including pencils comprising end and side members, supporting feet on said members, means on said feet for attaching the tray to a lampshade, a bottom in said tray located intermediate the top and bottom of said side and end members, means on one of said members for slidably retaining an elongated instrument therein, said last mentioned means being located between said bottom and the bottom of said side and end members, and comprising an opening in said member and resilient gripping means associated With said opening.

5. A combination tray and lampshade for holding drafting instruments comprising side and end members, a corrugated member within said side and end members and located adjacent the top edge of said side and end members forming therewith a tray and spaced inwardly from said top edge, a light reflecting member located within the confines of and adjacent the bottom of said side and end members, resilient supporting means carried by one of said end members located intermediate of said corrugated members and said light reflecting member, said resilient means being associated with holes in said end members for slidably receiving an elongated instrument therein, whereby one end of said elongated instrument is held with one end extended outwardly from said tray and the opposite end is held within the confines of said tray between reflecting member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,357,824 Rhodes Nov. 2, 1920 2,258,685 Mattlatzki Oct. 14, 1941 2,293,859 Scott Aug. 25, 1942 2,529,657 Kennedy Nov. 14, 1950 2,604,557 Nelson July 22, 1952 the corrugated member and the light 

